


The Guessing Game

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-16
Updated: 2012-04-16
Packaged: 2017-11-03 19:18:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/384929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“The world is indeed still spinning on its axis.” Emily said.  “Reid has no idea what we’re talking about.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Guessing Game

**Author's Note:**

> #801. This is the sequel to When Solo Became Duet. I normally don’t write sequels but walking home they started talking. I walked a little faster so I could get home and get it down.

“Good morning ladies.” Derek Morgan walked into the kitchen where Penelope, JJ, and Emily were standing in a tight circle whispering amongst themselves.

“Shug, did you see it?” Penelope asked turning to him.

“I saw it.” he nodded.

“Well…”

“Well what? We don’t know what it means.”

“We don’t know what it means?” Prentiss gave him what he called the ‘Prentiss’ look. “We know what it means, Derek. It means the same thing everywhere.”

“He never looked like the type to wear one to me.” JJ said. “I'm surprised.”

“I want details.” Penelope said.

“Go to your computer.” Derek added creamer to his coffee. “It’s a matter of public record.”

“I want them from him.” Penelope replied. “Why would he keep it from us? We’re a team; a family.”

“He's wearing it out in the open.” Emily said. “That could be his way of telling us.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Morgan said. “If he wants to tell us he’d just do it. He’s not the type to play guessing games and when he’s hiding things he’s better than most.”

“Well which one of us is going to squeeze it out of him?” JJ asked.

“We can draw straws.” Penelope suggested.

“I say leave it.” Morgan replied. “When he's ready then he’ll spill it. Until then, we don’t know what's going on.”

“Good morning.” Hotch walked into the kitchen too. Usually his team would at least try to pretend they weren't gossiping when he came around but no such luck this time. He knew what this was about.

“You knew didn’t you?” Emily asked, moving up on him as he grabbed the teabags from the cabinet.

“Prentiss, I have no earthly idea what you're talking about. Good morning to you too.”

“Oh c'mon, you had to know…you two are practically husbands.”

“Well I can tell you with certainty that I didn’t marry Dave Rossi this weekend.”

“You did know.” JJ said.

“I know as much as you do.” Hotch replied.

“But that’s nothing boss.” Penelope said. “You're telling us that you know nothing?”

“I am. I know nothing, bupkis, nada…”

“We get it.” Morgan said. “Why would he keep it from us? We’ve supported them and smoothed a lot of things over the past couple of years. What if it’s not her?”

“Oh my God,” JJ covered her mouth. “He married someone else.”

“No.” Penelope shook her head. “He's in love with her. Who else would he marry?”

“I think this whole conversation just took a Lifetime turn.” Prentiss said. She added more Splenda to her Kenyan roast. “We need answers.”

“You have to ask questions to get them.” Hotch replied.

“You stop talking.” She pointed to her Unit Chief. “I don’t believe you're clueless.”

“Scouts honor.” He held up two fingers.

“You'd need at least one witness.” Morgan said. “Who was it if not you?”

“It wasn’t me.” Hotch said shaking his head.

“Morning.” Reid ambled into the kitchen definitely looking as if he didn’t get enough sleep last night. He headed straight for the coffee pot.

“Did you see it Spencer?” JJ asked.

“Um…see what?”

“The world is indeed still spinning on its axis.” Emily said. “Reid has no idea what we’re talking about.”

“We’re talking about the new hardware a certain Senior SSA is sporting.” Morgan leaned on the counter.

“Oh yeah, I saw it. When did that happen?”

“That’s what we’re all trying to figure out.” JJ said.

“I don’t know anything about it.” Hotch said when Spencer looked at him.

“Penelope, you could check the public record.” Reid said. “If it happened it’s in there. Maybe it’s just a symbolic gesture though.”

“No man is ever going to wear one unless he took the plunge.” Morgan said. “Some won't even do it then. This went down.”

“And it had to have been this weekend because he wasn’t wearing it Friday.” JJ said.

“Oh my God, he left early on Friday.” Emily said. “He left early with the Deputy Director. I thought they were just going to lunch when I saw them getting on the elevator but what if…?”

“The Deputy Director would make as good a witness as any.” Hotch replied, steeping his tea. “And don’t tell me to stop talking, Prentiss; I didn’t know.”

“Mmm hmm,” she gave him the Prentiss glare.

“Who's going to ask him?” Spencer asked. “I would think he would tell us but if not then we’ll just have to do it the hard way.”

“It should be you.” Morgan said. “Go and strike up a conversation.”

“I'm really bad at being covert and even worse with him. I'm not doing it.”

“I can't.” Emily said. “It might seem disingenuous whether I want it to or not. I know the peace accord still stands but I have all kinds of feelings about this.”

“No.” Hotch said when they all looked his way. He didn’t even bother to elaborate.

“You’ve known him the longest.” Morgan said. “It makes the most sense. He was all in your business when you got a girlfriend. Give him a taste of his own medicine.”

“I have a feeling the only person with a funny taste in their mouth at the end of that conversation would be me.”

“Do we hate this?” Penelope asked. “I mean do you guys because I think it’s awesome. Star crossed lovers with a second chance to get right what they couldn’t in the past. I mean they are so cute. Don’t you think they’re cute?”

“I think Yorkies are cute.” Emily replied.

“And superhero onesies.” JJ said.

“This is just a little bit weird, mama,” Morgan said. “It’s even weird by BAU standards.”

“Well you could think about it in another way. We may never again have to worry about being transferred, written up, questioned, interrogated, or anything.”

“I would hope that’s not so.” Hotch said. “If anything we have to worry about it more. The appearance of impropriety on anyone’s part could be very dangerous for all of us.”

“Then lets think of it as cute.” Penelope said.

“You could just stop thinking about it altogether before you give yourselves headaches.”

They all turned to see Dave Rossi walk into the kitchen. He was carrying his Cubs mug and he was wearing the ring. He watched as his whole team’s eyes never quite made it to his face but couldn’t look away from his hand.

“So Dave,” JJ said. “What did you do this weekend?”

Despite herself, Emily started to laugh. Morgan wasn’t far behind.

“Not much; a little of this and a little of that.”

“Oh c'mon,” Penelope said. “You got married without us!”

“Say it a little louder kitten, I don’t think the guys who work in the back heard you.” Rossi smiled.

“We don’t need to say it,” Morgan said. “You’ve got accessories.”

“Do you think it brings out my eyes?” Dave asked.

“Why didn’t you just tell us?” JJ asked.

“It was spontaneous.” 

“She doesn’t look like the spontaneous type.” Reid replied.

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about her, Spencer.”

“Are you happy?” Hotch asked his longtime friend.

“I'm very happy. I have this crick in my neck though from the honeymoon that I…”

“Whoa,” Emily covered her ears. “No details; please no details.”

“I'm kidding.” Rossi laughed. “I'm fine, she's fine…everything is fine.”

“We should have a party.” Penelope said.

“No,” Dave shook his head as he poured coffee. “We liked it low key. It was a natural progression of what we share and sometimes that thing is really just between the two of us. I don’t know if you guys understand that and I surely wasn’t leaving you out on purpose but it was perfect as it was.”

“You don’t even have pictures?” Morgan asked.

“I have pictures.”

Dave took his phone off his hip and opened his photo gallery. He handed the phone to Morgan and the whole team gathered around him to have a look. Penelope sighed.

“Oh my God, you guys look so happy. This makes me all warm and gooey on the inside.”

“I love her shoes.” JJ and Emily said in unison.

“They’re Prada.” Dave replied.

“Hmm.” Emily sipped her coffee as Morgan handed back the phone.

“Is the fourth time the charm?” he asked.

“It’s had some good moments.” Dave nodded.

“Are you taking her someplace romantic for a honeymoon?” Penelope asked.

“We’ll take some time away this summer. Right now we’re both pretty busy. Speaking of busy, I'm sure we all have something else to do other than stand around and ask me a bunch of questions.”

“We wouldn’t have had to if you just would've told us.” JJ said, giving him a friendly poke. “We’re having a family dinner to celebrate and you're not going to argue about it.”

“And just to show that there are no hard feelings,” Emily added. “You can cook it.”

“That feels more like punishment than not.” Dave replied.

“Alright people, we need to get to work. JJ can you sit with Anderson today and help with some of the cases he’s working on for us. He needs an expert hand.”

“Sure.” she nodded as they all started to leave the kitchen.

Soon Hotch and Dave were alone. The silence was awkward but Dave sucked it up.

“I wanted to tell you.” 

“You don’t have to tell me everything.” Hotch replied.

“It wasn’t a secret. It was just something we started talking about and then we were doing it and then we were really doing it. I honestly wasn’t sure it was going to happen until it was happening.”

“If she makes you happy then why would I give you grief about it.”

“You know she makes me happy, Aaron.”

“Congratulations. We all know how difficult it is to find that person who just gets you, no matter what. It’s probably even more difficult with what we do for a living.”

“You seem to be doing alright these days.” Dave gave him a smile.

“I am.” Hotch nodded. “I'm not even close to where you are though.”

“It took time and we had some mountains to climb. Now we get to enjoy the view together.”

Hotch gave Dave’s shoulder a squeeze. He was happy for his friend. He knew Dave was in love and was ready to face the challenges that fell in their way head on. The no fraternization rule had nothing on what they might face. But they’d been together practically since he returned to the BAU. This marriage was clearly something they both wanted. 

He couldn’t help but think of Beth as he walked back to his office. Not marriage of course, they were still getting to know each other. But Hotch thought about those giddy feelings you had when it just felt so good to be in someone’s presence. When the mere thought of them made you gooey on the inside as Penelope so eloquently put it. Everyone deserved that feeling at least once in their lives. While Dave Rossi had surely had it more than most, he still seemed grateful for it.

Dave refreshed his coffee cup, added more creamer, and took his phone from his hip. The wallpaper was a picture of her and Mudgie mugging for the camera. He smiled as he opened the text messages and sent her one.

‘ _Good morning, Mrs. Rossi. They know and they’re happy for us. There's to be a dinner in our honor_.’ –Dave

‘ _I didn’t hear any screaming through the vents so it must have gone well_.’ –Erin

‘ _It was quite interesting. One family down and two more to go_.’ –Dave

***


End file.
